


Plague Ship

by StellarLibraryLady



Series: Coronavirus [2]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: COVID-19, Coronavirus, Ethical Questions, Ethics Vs. Economics, M/M, Pandemics, Quarantine, frustrations, masturbation reference, restrictions, social distancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23563741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StellarLibraryLady/pseuds/StellarLibraryLady
Summary: The Coronavirus Crisis of the Twenty-Third Century raises questions similar to ones raised in 2020.How a health emergency continued to disrupt normalcy aboard the Enterprise.The aggravating problems that a little virus can cause.
Relationships: Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Spock
Series: Coronavirus [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1701550
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	Plague Ship

The voluntary quarantine, of course, lasted longer than two weeks.

“It was just an estimate of time, Jim,” McCoy explained to a visibly fuming Kirk who was barely being able to contain his ire. “Just something to get the ball rolling. Something like that is always open-ended.” McCoy felt like he was babbling, but he was hoping he’d hit on a point that might appease his captain who was trying to juggle official agendas. “Nothing can be set in cement when it comes to illness, especially when a virus is involved. It goes by no schedule except its own.”

“I realize that, Bones, but I’ve got a ship to run and obligations to meet. We’ve already had to turn away a couple of escort missions that would’ve looked good on our record. Jenkins got all the gravy for getting to do those while we had to sit back and play pocket pool with ourselves. Seemingly, that was our only option, seeing as how we are under medical orders for social distancing and can’t be touching each other for, ah, mutual comfort anymore,” he grumbled more to himself than to McCoy. It was obvious that the slights registered with him and were like cactus thorns sticking him in places he couldn’t reach. 

“Jim, I know it’s rough. But several of the crew have presented with symptoms that could possibly be COVID-19.”

“And it could well be ordinary flu with grandiose ideas and pretending to be its wickeder cousin.”

“It could be. I just don’t have the tests on hand to make positive diagnoses.”

“Why not?!”

“Could you have predicted that this one certain virus might re-emerge and head our way at this time? Do you know how many viruses with adverse effects for humans are out there? Could you have predicted which tests I should have on hand and how many?”

Kirk cooled. “Well. No.”

McCoy deflated with him. “Neither could I.”

“So it’s just watch and wait?”

“Pretty much.”

“But it’s been two weeks. Shouldn’t it have made an appearance by now if it was going to?”

“I’ve had potential cases show up in sickbay, as you well know. Some have been allergies. Some are the common colds. One was even an odd strain of the swine flu that made itself known in 1958, although I don’t know how my patient was able to attract that little booger. One case was just a case of the nerves. Too active of an imagination, I think,” he said with a sigh. “That young lady had managed to talk herself into such a state that she had worse hives than any problem that the coronavirus might’ve had on her respiratory system. Only a couple of cases are what I think might be the problem in question. And those two people have been placed in isolation.”

“Shouldn’t you know something for certain? As we've noted, it’s been two weeks. Shouldn’t your two suspected cases either be well by now, or dead?”

McCoy knew that the flash of horror he felt had to be showing on his face. Yet he frowned, just in case Kirk hadn’t understood how callous his remark had sounded. “That’s cold, Jim.”

“It’s two people. Just two people. I know that each life is precious, but do others have to be sacrificed because of them? I’m responsible for hundreds more lives on this ship, not just those two. And there’s potentially thousands more who could be affected, thousands whom we’ve had personal contact with. And thousands more whom those thousands have had contact with.”

“Now you can see why we have to be cautious and stop this thing from spreading any more than it has.”

“I realize that, but I’ve got to consider other things, too. We’ve got to get back to the business of living, Bones. We’re living creatures. We advance, or else we perish from stagnation. That’s a basic law of a successful organism. We don’t thrive by sitting on our butts and looking pretty. Daylight's burning. We've got stuff to do and we need to be doing it.”

“I know.”

“I’ve got a conference of planets to attend back at Federation Headquarters coming up in a couple of weeks. I'd like to be there.”

“That would be a nice place to expose a wide range of beings to broadcast it quickly to all areas of the universe. You’d make a name for yourself, but one you wouldn’t relish.”

“Bones, we’re not following our basic orders! We’ve got to get on with our space exploration. We can't keep making lazy laps around this galaxy!”

“We cannot be knowingly spreading a possible contagion to new civilizations, either! That would just be irresponsible on our part! And it would be a helluva calling card! Not another way you’d want your name to go down in history, I'm thinking!”

“I know,” Kirk said, rubbing his forehead. “But we’ve got to get back to business. We’ve got to start being worthwhile again, or we’ll become obsolete. As Calvin Coolidge supposedly said, ‘The business of America is business.’ It is for us, too. This is no joy ride we’re on out here in space. We do have a purpose and we need to get back to it.”

“I realize the pressure you’re under to get things back to normal before this starts affecting others outside of this ship.”

“It already has. People we’ve been in contact with-- other ships, a month’s worth of ports of call, those diplomats who hitched a ride with us-- all of them have had to take precautions just because we passed through their personal spaces,” Kirk said quietly so McCoy could be impressed with the magnitude of what he was saying. “We’re blazing a trail out here, alright, but one we can’t be proud of.” He pinched his lips together. “Or at least one we shouldn’t be. I’d hate for the Enterprise to be nicknamed the Typhoid Mary of the Galaxy because of this incident.”

“So would I. That’s why I’m being so cautious. Hell, those hitchhiking diplomats could be the ones responsible for this whole mess.”

“The upper echelon of some planet? The upper crust of its society?” Kirk’s smile was ironic. “Bones! Bit your tongue! You know the shit of important people don’t stink! How could rulers be the cause of anything bad?! What were you thinking?!”

McCoy gave him a tired, companionable grin. They were, after all, friends first. They were in this mess together and trying to get it figured out together. They were just voicing two sides of the crisis they were under. “Guess I lost my head there for a minute.”

“Yeah. We all did. But, seriously, Bones, we gotta get on with life. We can’t just stagnate. We can’t isolate ourselves indefinitely. It isn’t good for us emotionally, mentally, or economically. We were meant to mingle. Hell, we’re scheduled for 'r and r' before long on a recreation planet. I intend that we get to have that down time. We’re all gonna need it by then. And that planet is expecting our business. We'll hurt their economy if we don't show up.”

“I know we will, but I can’t give the go ahead until this present situation has corrected itself. Until then, I’m going to take the conservative stance and opt for caution.”

“Bones, this state of indecisiveness is worse than the coronavirus!”

McCoy found back his sad, ironic smile. “And now we’ve fallen into the rabbit hole completely.”

“When will I be able to touch someone again, Bones? When will I be able to have sex again?! I’m a virile guy in the prime of my strength! I have needs! Surely you can understand that!”

“Oh, yeah. Better than you can imagine.” McCoy thought of the Vulcan who had been sleeping exactly six feet and one inch away from him for endless nights. Electricity vibrated between them during those hours of supposed slumber, but nothing else. Spock and McCoy both honored the strict quarantine because they were concerned more in the other guy’s health than their own physical gratifications.

Kirk knew that McCoy had not proclaimed the quarantine mandate without compassion. He had not done it lightly nor without sympathy. It was affecting him personally, too, just as it was everyone else. But it was his duty, and he was doing it. So he deserved Kirk's support, just as Kirk wanted and needed McCoy's support.

Kirk pursed his lips. “It’s getting so bad that I’m thinking of giving my hands a promise ring. They're proving to be my only one true love.”

McCoy grinned. “Those old buddies will never let you down.” He arched an eyebrow. “And they are so handy and are always available whenever the ‘need’ arises.”

Kirk nodded with sad remorse.

“AND, they are well within the six-feet guidelines we’re having to follow,” McCoy reminded him.

Kirk smirked. “Imagine me. Being compliant about anything.”

“We’re setting good examples to the crew. If we can do it, they can do it.”

“Sure is lonely at the top, though.”

“It’s lonely everywhere, I imagine,” McCoy noted sadly. “I know it is in my quarters.”

“Bones, you’re together with the guy you love. And you’re both safe. For now, that will have to be enough.”

“Yeah,” McCoy said with a sigh. “So near and yet so far. But someday, someday, it will be different.”

“Until then, you can live with it. We all can.”

“Yeah,” McCoy agreed. “Until then.”

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing of Star Trek, its characters, and/or its story lines.


End file.
